


The Man in Black

by MimsyStigg



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Slytherin Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 08:40:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18688000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimsyStigg/pseuds/MimsyStigg
Summary: Hermione Granger comes to Hogwarts expecting to be sorted into Ravenclaw but just before her sorting, a strange encounter turns her world upside down...





	The Man in Black

Hermione Granger kept her eyes fixed firmly on Professor McGonagall, looking up only to briefly admire the ceiling.

"It"s bewitched to look like the night sky." She said, more to herself than anyone else. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Her voice was confident as ever but underneath the cool facade she was panicking. At 11 years old, Hermione had never belonged anywhere before and she didn't see why Hogwarts would be any different. The girl was certain that at any moment someone would notice her and kick her out. Laugh at her and reveal that everything had been an elaborate joke.

It was while McGonagall was explaining about the hat (which Hermione had read about already) that she looked over to the Staff table and what she saw there made her gasp.

It was him!

The dark angel...

The man from her dreams!

Hermione's eyes widened as she tried to comprehend the fact that he was here.

Which made him real.

Which was wonderful and terrible and...

"Hermione Granger."

It was McGonagall, calling her to be sorted but the girl couldn't take her eyes of the man sitting with his arms crossed stiffly on the table in front of him, dark hair framing his pale face. He didn't seem to notice her staring, as his gaze remained fixed, unblinking, at one of the students huddled behind her and he had a strange look on his face.

"Hermione Granger." The old witch said more firmly and Hermione broke away and stumbled up to the stool, where the sorting hat was placed on her head, brim dropping low over her eyes.

She had been so ready for this before but now the gruff whisper of the hat as it examined her head was merely background noise. All she could think about was the angel and how on earth he had got here.

"Angel?" The hat laughed and Hermione hurried to cover her thoughts but it was too late. "That, my dear, is Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House."

"Slytherin?" Hermione had read all about the different houses and had come across a few less than savoury descriptions of Slytherin.

"Yes." The hat seemed to think for a while before it spoke again. "I think you would do well there, and it really isn't as bad as you've read. Ambition. I see plenty of that and you'd get to see a lot more of your... friend?"

Hermione's thoughts were reeling: she had been thinking about this all week and Slytherin house had never been on the cards. She was supposed to be in Gryffindor... or Ravenclaw.

"I never thought about Slytherin." She said "I don't have magical parents."

The hat tightened on her head in what she assumed was a smile before relaxing a little. "Is that what they told you?" It said "Well don't let anyone know and I think you'll do well."

The girl hardly had time to process what had been said before the hat shouted out its declaration and was pulled from her head, leaving her dazed and she wandered towards a cheering table of students wearing green and silver ties.

Looking back over her shoulder she caught a glimpse of the ginger boy she had met on the train. He was giving her a filthy look and she began to wonder if she had made a terrible mistake in not fighting the hat's decision but when she looked over at the angel and saw a brief smile touch his thin lips she knew she had made the right decision. 

She had to be in this house because she had to know what he was doing here.


End file.
